December 30, 2008

Going somewhere? Be sure to get there in style with this hip overnight duffel bag made by Room It Up and personalized by Suzi Homemaker. You will love the ample storage this overnight bag affords and, with two interior mesh pockets, you will be able to keep all of your essentials organized. A hidden front outside zip pocket and a convenient Velcro side pocket are perfect for easy access to all of your smaller items. Adjustable shoulder strap with lobster claw closure included! Measures 17" x 10" x 11". Your choice of color and monogram style!

::HOW TO ENTER::

To enter this giveaway, simply visit Suzi Homemaker's website at www.suzihomemaker.net, and leave a comment HERE about a product that caught your eye!

Giveaway ends 6:00 p.m. CST on January 11th, 2009. One lucky winner will be randomly selected and contacted on January 12th, 2009. Good luck!

December 24, 2008

Hooray for Christmas eve!!! Everyone is on holidays, relaxing, chatting, eating, and excited about tomorrow... what will Santa bring? I LOVE Christmas... always have and always will and now as a mum it has a whole new enjoyment to it with seeing my girls open gifts, play with the new toys and their cousins we spend the day with.

I just wanted to send a Merry Christmas wish to you and all of your families from me and my little family - Enjoy and I'll see you on the other side of Christmas day when we are looking to the beginning of a new year........what are you New Years Resolutions for 2009?? maybe this list titled 'Things I've Done' that I found on the brand new blog Vanilla Pixie can help you decided:

The things that I have done are in bold. How about you? What have you done? What could you aim to do in 2009?

1. Started your own blog2. Slept under the stars3. Played in a band4. Visited Hawaii5. Watched a meteor shower6. Given more than you can afford to charity7. Been to Disneyland8. Climbed a mountain9. Held a praying mantis10. Sang a solo11. Bungee jumped12. Visited Paris13. Watched a lightning storm at sea14. Taught yourself an art from scratch15. Adopted a child (a sponsor child - does that count??)16. Had food poisoning17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty18. Grown your own vegetables19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France20. Slept on an overnight train21. Had a pillow fight22. Hitch hiked23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill24. Built a snow fort25. Held a lamb26. Gone skinny dipping27. Run a Marathon28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice29. Seen a total eclipse30. Watched a sunrise or sunset31. Hit a home run32. Been on a cruise33. Seen Niagara Falls in person34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors35. Seen an Amish community36. Taught yourself a new language37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person39. Gone rock climbing40. Seen Michelangelo's David41. Sung karoke42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant44. Visited Africa45. Walked on a beach by moonlight46. Been transported in an ambulance47. Had your portrait painted48. Gone deep sea fishing49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling52. Kissed in the rain53. Played in the mud54. Gone to a drive-in theater55. Been in a movie56. Visited the Great Wall of China57. Started a business58. Taken a martial arts class59. Visited Russia60. Served at a soup kitchen61. Sold Girl Scout cookies62. Gone whale watching63. Got flowers for no reason64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma65. Gone sky diving66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp67. Bounced a check68. Flown in a helicopter69. Saved a favorite childhood toy70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial71. Eaten Caviar72. Pieced a quilt73. Stood in Times Square74. Toured the Everglades75. Been fired from a job76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London77. Broken a bone78. Been on a speeding motorcycle79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person80. Published a book81. Visited the Vatican82. Bought a brand new car83. Walked in Jerusalem84. Had your picture in the newspaper85. Read the entire Bible86. Visited the White House87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating88. Had chickenpox89. Saved someone’s life90. Sat on a jury91. Met someone famous92. Joined a book club93. Lost a loved one94. Had a baby95. Seen the Alamo in person96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake97. Been involved in a lawsuit98. Owned a cell phone99. Been stung by a bee100. Read an entire book in one day

Feel free to share the things that you have done, and leave me a comment if you blog about it too so we can compare.....

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am a mother of 2 boys aged 2 1/2 years and 5 months old. I am having a break from my usual work for a little while to be at home with my boys. I love looking for all of the beautiful fabrics for my buttons. Cute pictures, classic polka dots and stripes, beautiful florals. Some things for children, some for adults and of course finding some for the boys. While I was learning to make these buttons and products there was a lot of trial and error. There are a lot of different types of buttons available to cover in fabric but some don't have a big enough loop on the back (shank) for my elastics, some have a shank that can't be taken off for my hair clips, some are too time consuming to make or are designed so that it is impossible to get the picture in the centre of the button. Finally I have found the ones! I also needed to experiment with attaching the buttons to my accessories so that they were safe for children. My sister has bought button hairclips before that were just glued to the clip - they fell off even before my niece wore them - so I use a metal craft wire to securely attach the button. Some people just slide a button onto a bobby pin - which of course will just slide back off - and this is fine for adults. I have had to use bobby pins with a flat pad so I can glue my buttons to the bobby pin. I always use a jewellers glue so they won't come off. When selling my products the hardest thing is always the pricing - how much of my time can I charge for but still sell them!

How long have you been creating your craft?I started making 'buttons' just a few months ago so I am very new to this craft. I decided that they would be a lovely present for my older son's friends, my niece, the older sisters of new babies that were arriving. I started making them for myself, other people wanted to give them away as presents as well - and it has just exploded from there. Who would have thought just a few months ago that I would have made well over a thousand fabric covered buttons in such a short time.

What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?It is such a learning experience and as I am so new to it am am learning so much more all the time. Once Christmas is over and I have a little more time (hopefully) then I can look at everything again - my supplies, my prices, my stockists, etc. and try to get things on track for 2009.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?It is hard to know which products I like creating the most as all of them are special to me because I use my often precious little time to make them. I think I like whichever buttons have my favourite fabrics - although that is most of them because I choose it all! I like my products when they are finished. When I have glued a whole batch of magnets or earrings and I am packing them up all finished and beautiful ready to sell - a good sense of achievement. I love to wear the earrings because I have a bit of an earring addiction. I love to give the clips and elastics to little girls and the magnets the adults. I could go on and on. I really enjoy making them because I like them all.

Is there a basic ‘household’ item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual ‘tool’?There's a couple of pens and pencils at home that come in handy for my button making - but not used as pens and pencils. I have 2 refillable led pencils that I use (no led) to help me push the backs onto the buttons with the hairclips. I can get under the hairclips and get to the edges that need to be pushed down. I also use a wide pen with a flat bottom to push in the button backs that are hard to get on. I get a bit more strength when I can hold the pen with both hands and push instead of just a couple of fingers on the tool.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?My favourite candy bar is a cherry ripe - although there are about 20 others that come a very close second! It is just one I have loved for years and still enjoy.

If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?If money, time and responsibilities were no issue...hmmm...I would start with a long sleep - it's busy with babies! I have a couple of holidays - maybe small towns in france and italy, go back to London to look around and shop and remenisce ( I lived there for a few years before my boys were born). But I would always come back home to be near my family and friends. I really like living in Australia.

December 18, 2008

This Christmas I stood by my pledge to buy handmade items for all my gifts and I just can't wait for Christmas day when I get to see the faces of my family and friends when they open all the unique and wonderful items I have found over the past few months by so many different and talented artisans out there.

Both sides of my family seem to be growing bigger and bigger with every passing year so this Christmas we decided that gift buying would be for the kids only and the adult presents would be done in Secret Santa style, meaning we would only have to buy 1 adult gift each... so much easier!!

It's been a blast searching for the perfect handmade gift for each person and I'm so pleased with all of my purchases

How has your Christmas shopping turned out?? did you take the handmade pledge and follow through with your promise?? Take a look HERE for all the reasons why buying handmade is such a great idea and HERE to take the Buy Handmade Pledge yourself if you haven't already!!

December 16, 2008

Christmas time 'down under' means summer.... beach, barbeque's, sunscreen, day light savings, air conditioning, swimmers etc etc.... it might sound strange to those of you on the other side of the world surrounded by white, cold snow but this is the only Christmas I have ever known (one year I do wish for a white Christmas - just one).With summer officially here the sun is up bright and early every day and by midday it is hot, hot, hot and without the luxury of a swimming pool in our backyard for my little girl (and me) to cool off I thought of the next best thing.... a big bucket of water for her to splash around in.

It was extremely cute watching her have fun in and out of the bucket so I took some happy snaps and emailed them to my parents later that night..... an hour or so later I had an email reply from my mum titled 'Like mother like daughter' with a few photos of me as a little girl doing the very same thing!!

I had to share the laugh and the similarities too - you'd never guess we are related really??? NOT!

Another custom order recently popped up for me and this one was fun... I was asked by the owner of a bricks and mortar shop if I could make a set of flags like the ones listed in Giggleberry Creations the shop only could I make them BIGGER..... the plan is for them to be used to decorate the entrance of the shop and she wanted them to stand out from miles away.So we decided to make them 2 inches taller and 2 inches wider than the normal Giggleberry flags - Oh and she asked for the set to be 5 meters long!!!

I was lucky enough to have free choice of patterns and colors "as long as it was unisex and fun" so I hit the fabric shop and found a bright and cheerful checked fabric with all kinds of colors in it and then matched it with solid fabric of the same color and got down to some serious sewing.

I love the way they turned out! Although it was tricky to get them all in one photo to show you the true size as the set is so BIG!!

December 15, 2008

I am honored to have Candy as this weeks Featured Artist' as she was one of the many gorgeous people who donated their items to my family's fundraiser for our Autistic daughter. Candy hand makes many stunning hair bows with the most amazing and sweet ribbons!! Check out her shop at www.sobellacreations.etsy.com for a wide choice of hair bows that would be perfect for stocking stuffing...... You can also follow all of the happenings with Candy at her blog of the same name So Bella Creations

Tell us all about yourself and your craft?My name is Candy. I'm a stay at home Mom to two girls, ages 2 and 5. My craft is making bows.

How long have you been creating your craft?I started making bows probably when my oldest daughter was 2 . I started making hair bows for her because the only bows the boutiques sold were solid colored bows. And most of these bows were attached to a alligator clip. I found we were constantly losing bows. And I wanted some bows with stripes, polkadots or with characters. So I bought a bow making kit and ordered ribbon. And practiced and practiced. People kept telling me you should sell your bows. So that is where I'm at now.

What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?Biggest lesson ~ Just because someone likes your product doesn't mean you will be selling constantly.

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?I enjoyed making the Minnie Mouse bow with the bottlecap. I love the color red. Minnie is a wonderful character. And the bottle cap adds just the right touch to the bow.

Is there a basic 'household' item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'?I use clothespins to hold my bow in place. Especially handy if I have forgotten to thread my needle. Or if one of the girls needs something.

What is your favourite candy bar & why?My favorite Candy Bar is the Snickers Bar. It has chocolate, caramel and peanuts. Three of my favorite things and makes a great combo.

If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why?I would chose to go Ireland. The land seems so serene and beautiful. And they have some great artist that I would love to visit.

December 12, 2008

I found a fun new website today called Elf Yourself! With a few easy clicks you could have anyone of your family or friends as a happy little Christmas elf doing a Christmas dance (there are four dance styles to choose from). Click play below to check out my 'elf self' burning up the dance floor!!

December 10, 2008

Oh how I love doing custom orders... I love to hear what people have imagined in their minds for the perfect spot in their homes and that they then trust me to make that image a reality... I especially love (although nervously) sending the customer a few photos of the finished product and waiting for the response...

This week I was contacted by a fellow Aussie mum who had a particular request for a set of flags to match her daughter, Bella's, bedroom. Georgina told me she had left over fabric from a few things she had made for Bella's room and would love it if I could make a set of Giggleberry flags with them to tie the room all together. I was honored to!

I had never made a set from fabric a customer had sent me before so this being the first time was extra fun. When the fabric arrived there was plenty for the 15 flags Georgina had asked for with some left over so I offered to make Bella a matching Giggleberry cushion cover and the offer was accepted.

I'm so pleased with how both the flags and the cushion cover turned out and when I forwarded some photos to Geogina the reply was "Amy I can't tell you how happy I am with the bunting and the cushion cover...they are perfect! I can't wait to get them and finish decorating Bella's room!... ".

WOOT! WOOT! I'm so excited to have finally found the time to make and list a brand new line of items in store at Giggleberry Creations!!Come and check out my fun, colorful and unique cushion covers!!

These cushion covers would be such a great addition to any little one's bed, reading corner or great for the long family trips in the car!

Just like the Giggleberry's fabric banners you can have these cushion covers made in whatever colors or themes you desire.... they could even be made to match your Giggleberry banner!!

The cushion covers measure approx 14" wide and 16" tall and fit a size 16 or 40cm x 40cm cushion insert.The in store listings are for the cushion cover only but if you would like me to purchase the insert for you I'd be happy to. Just contact me and I will add this to the listing at a small extra cost.

I met Bella through my the FAM (Fabulous Artistic Moms) team and think her work is simply gorgeous (my favorite items are her 'Ruffle socks'). Bella was so kind to be this weeks featured artist - Thank you! Pop into her shop at www.francisbel.etsy.com and take a look at her great range of things.

How long have you been creating your craft?I have been doing crafts for about 15 years...And selling them for about 10 years.

What is one of the biggest lesson you have learnt about your craft & selling it?The biggest lesson I have learnt is everything has to be make with a lot of patience and with plenty of time, nothing has to be made in the hurry, and for selling is never do a custom order without be pay BEFORE...

Which of your items did you have the most fun creating & why?I love all the sewing part, I enjoy sewing all day long It is my big passion!

Is there a basic household item you use when creating that seems to work just as good if not better than the actual 'tool'? Yes, I use clothes pins for holding the ribbon in place when I make my headbands.

What is your favourite candy bar & why? I love Baby Ruth's

If money, responsibilities, and time were no issues where in the great wide world would you go & why? I would like to go to the Great Wall of China, it would be great be in that place.

December 4, 2008

With Christmas less than a month away and December officially starting this week we have put up our Christmas decorations!! Milla is amazed at the Christmas tree and wants to touch it all the time but while I was putting it up she was much more interested in the box it came out of.

We decided to not put any presents out in case Fliss or Milla's little fingers go looking...

I've got the best job in the world - wife to my wonderful hubby and mummy to 3 busy bees.
I fill my week with Giggleberry Creations - handmade fabric bunting banners, plus all kinds of other things! There is a good chance you'll get to read about it here... So make yourself comfy, sit back and enjoy!

as seen in Shop 4 Kids

As seen in SHOP 4 Kids

As seen in Shop 4 Kids

as seen in CLEO magazine

As seen in Soap World Magazine

part of WAHM feature Page 58-59

As seen in Eco Beautiful Weddings Magazine

check us out on page 20!

Tickle The Imagination

Page 26 - Yellow Crush

Would you like a custom ordered bunting banner? maybe you'd like to know about Giggleberry's wholesale terms? or you might just want to say hi... either way you can contact me here giggleberrycreations@gmail.com